Non-domestic Rates

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of revenue from business rates in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13 in each local authority area; and if he will compare such figures with those used in the calculation of the distributable amount for 2012-13.

Bob Neill: Information on non-domestic rate income in England is provided by local authorities annually on the National Non-domestic Rates (NNDR) 1 form which is submitted to DCLG every February. These figures use national assumptions on the amount of revenue that authorities will be unable to collect and allowances to mitigate the historic differences between national non-domestic rates' budget estimates and outturn figures. The Department does not make separate estimates at local authority level.
	Information from these returns, at local authority level, is published on the DCLG website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/1910477.xls
	for 2011-12 and at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/xls/2150903.xls
	for 2012-13.
	Figures on the estimated total contribution to the non-domestic rates pool from the Distributable Amount calculations and from the local authority NNDRl returns are set out in the following table. The figures relate to the local list only i.e. non-domestic rates collected by the 326 billing authorities in England. The Distributable Amount is not available at local authority level and Outturn data for 2011-12 are not yet available.
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Distributable amount calculation NNDR1 Difference 
			 2011-12 20,220 20,287 +87 
			 2012-13 21,556 21,329 -227 
		
	
	The contribution to the pool derived from the Distributable Amount calculation for 2011-12 is different to that published on the DCLG website as it has been adjusted to reflect the change in methodology used to produce the Distributable Amount for 2012-13.
	In relation to the implications for the business rates system for 2013-14 onwards, I would note that as outlined in my answer to the hon. Member of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 18W, our proposals for local business rate retention will ensure a fair starting point, so that no local authority is worse off at the outset of the scheme as a result of their business rates base. We are also ensuring there is protection for councils across the country, including a safety net for places in need of additional support.

Community Orders: Reoffenders

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the likely effect of community penalties on future reoffending rates.

Crispin Blunt: The proven reoffending rate for adults starting community orders in the 12 months ending June 2010 is 35.3%. For community orders, proven reoffending is when an offender commits an offence and receives a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up period. Following this one year period, a further six months is allowed for cases to progress through the courts.
	The Ministry of Justice has published a consultation “Punishment and reform: effective community sentences” which sets out a number of proposals to reform community sentences so that they are effective at both punishing and rehabilitating offenders.
	As set out in the impact assessment, the consultation asks respondents for their views on how these proposals could work and MOJ will assess the impacts when the final proposal is developed.
	The impact assessment that MOJ published alongside the consultation can be found on the following webpage:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/effective-community-services-1

National Offender Management Service

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on how many occasions an employee working for a probation trust or area has applied for and been given a post in the National Offender Management Service in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people from a probation trust or area applied for and were given a (a) permanent and (b) seconded post in the National Offender Management Service in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: This information is not available.
	NOMS does not maintain central records of the previous employers of its employed staff and there are no plans to change this arrangement which would be costly.
	There are currently no processes for recording secondments into NOMS by probation staff and no data is available on the numbers and employers of secondees in the past five years. This position is currently being rectified. At present there are 25 secondees from probation trusts working in NOMS Headquarters. Probation staff are deployed to work in prisons and young offender institutions.

National Offender Management Service

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what criteria are applied by the National Offender Management Service when seeking to transfer a seconded probation member of staff into the civil service;
	(2)  what arrangements govern the transfer process involving probation secondees entering the civil service; and what consultation on the process occurs with relevant organisations including the Probation Chiefs' Association and trade unions.

Crispin Blunt: When filling permanent, employed posts externally, NOMS normally only seeks to do so through open competition. It therefore has no set criteria to determine when a secondee to NOMS should be made an employee without use of open competition. Such a measure would be very exceptional, and would be based on a judgment made at the time, relating to the particular circumstances of the case.
	Neither, therefore, does NOMS have a developed procedure to follow in effecting such an appointment—other than that it would seek the permission of the Civil Service Commission before doing so. as required by the Commission's Recruitment Principles; as well consulting the individual and his or her employer.

Prisoners: Eating Disorders

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will estimate the proportion of prisoners that have dietary disorders; and if he will conduct an analysis of the incidence of such disorders among prisoners in comparison to the general population.

Crispin Blunt: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) does not hold central information on the proportion of prisoners that have a dietary disorder. Providing this information could be achieved only at a disproportionate cost.
	Currently there are no plans to carry out analysis of dietary disorders among prisoners.
	The policy on meals for all prisoners is maintained and developed by National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Minimum specification and requirement relating to meals for prisoners is contained within a prison service instruction (PSI 44/2010) and its supporting operating guidance manual; it is applicable to all prisons.
	NOMS has adopted and incorporated specific Government guidance issued by the Department of Health (DOH) and FSA on eating a healthy diet. These initiatives are based on the recommendations from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).
	Prisoners who have a medical condition must consult an establishment health care professional who will prescribe treatment including any specific dietary requirements. The catering departments in establishments are notified of any medical diets along with advice on how to meet any additional need.

Probation

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice by what mechanism introducing competitive tendering for the supervision of low-risk offenders will result in greater effectiveness.

Crispin Blunt: On 27 March the Ministry of Justice published proposals to reform probation services to better punish and reform offenders and protect the public. We are seeking to extend competition in probation services, including to the supervision of lower risk offenders, to deliver more effective and efficient services.
	We are consulting on the key issues in competing the management of offenders and on where we should strike the balance in deciding how far to compete offender management. The consultation closes on 22 June and we encourage a wide range of responses.

Probation

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average duration was for which an offender managed under (a) level 2 and (b) level 3 multi-agency public protection arrangements remained at that level before being transferred to level 1 in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many offenders are managed under (a) level 1, (b) level 2 and (c) level 3 multi-agency public protection arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Crispin Blunt: Data on the average duration for which offenders are managed under (a) level 2 and (b) level 3 multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) remained at that level before being transferred to level 1 are not recorded centrally. These data could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The annual MAPPA report was published on the Ministry of Justice website on 27 October 2011 at the following address:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/prisons-and-probation/mappa
	On 31 March 2011, the number of offenders managed at each level are shown in the table:
	
		
			 MAPPA management level Offenders 
			 1 48,650 
			 2 2.649 
			 3 190

Procurement

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total (a) number and (b) value of contracts issued by (i) his Department and (ii) bodies for which he is responsible which were awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has issued 570 contracts to small and medium enterprises from 1 April 2011 to 10 June 2012. The total value of the contracts issued is £506.7 million.
	The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) does not hold contracts issued by its agencies centrally. This Information can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost to the department, by a number of staff manually contacting and reviewing each agency.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many regulations his Department repealed between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012; and what estimate he has made of the saving to those affected in each case.

Jonathan Djanogly: Between 1 February 2012 and 31 May 2012, the Ministry of Justice has laid no statutory instruments which have regulatory impact.

Arts: Greater London

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of music venues that have ceased trading in the Greater London area in 2011. [R]

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has made no such assessment. However, the Government wants to see live music thrive and has honoured its Programme for Government pledge to remove red tape affecting live music by supporting the Live Music Act. This Act will remove costs and bureaucracy for live music performers and venues and will come into force this autumn in England and Wales.
	Arts Council England has informed DCMS that the following three music venues ceased trading and remained closed in Greater London in 2011:
	The Luminaire (closed 31 December 2010)
	The West End of London Barfly
	The Cock Tavern Theatre

Atos

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the total monetary value is of each contract between her Department and Atos;
	(2)  when each contract between her Department and Atos was most recently (a) agreed, (b) renewed and (c) extended.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport currently has 4 contracts with Atos. Details of these are listed below.
	
		
			 Department BU Title and Purpose Start date End date Estimated let Value Comments 
			 DFT(c) Transport Direct 16/01/2003 31/03/2006 £66,000,000 Note: the Department received a financial contribution from the ODA towards the development of the Olympics Spectator Journey Planner during this period, which was developed as part of TD's contract with Atos. 
			  Extension 1 01/04/2006 31/03/2007   
			  Extension 2 01/04/2007 31/03/2009   
			  Extension 3 01/04/2009 31/03/2011   
			  Extension 4 01/04/2011 31/03/2013   
			       
			 HA ICT Services 01/05/2011 11/12/2012 £33,000,000 The Highways Agency has one current contract with Atos for ICT Services. The total monetary value is estimated at £33M for the period 1 May 2011 to 11 Dec 2012. 
			       
			 VOSA ICT Managed Services (IS2003) 01/01/2003 31/12/2011 £100,000,000 ICT Managed Services (IS2003) which was signed in 2002, with service commencement in January 2003, for an initial period of 9 years with two further extension options of 3 years each. 
			  Extension 01/01/2012 01/04/2014  The ICT Managed Services (IS2003) contract was extended in line with the first three year extension option in April 2010 taking the duration to December 2014, from the initial term expiry of December 2011. 
			       
			  MOT Computerisation (MOTC) 01/01/2005 30/09/2015 In the Region of £230m over the ten years of the contract This is a PFI contract for the MOT Computerisation (IVIOTC) solution signed in 2000, with contractual service commencement in January 2005, originally with Siemens IT Solutions and Services Ltd (at that time known as Siemens Business Services Ltd) who were subsequently acquired by Atos SA in February 2011.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many requests were made to the DVLA for details of registered keepers of vehicles in each of the last three years; and what proportion of these requests were from the operators of car parks on private land.

Michael Penning: The following table provides the total number of requests for registered keeper details received at the DVLA for each of the last three years. It is not possible to break down this information to provide only the requests from operators of car parking companies on private land.
	
		
			  Total inquiries 
			 2009 17,379,410 
			 2010 17,257,261 
			 2011 14,878,644

Motor Vehicles: Registration

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under what criteria the DVLA will release details of registered keepers of vehicles.

Michael Penning: Information about the keepers of vehicles registered in Great Britain by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) may be disclosed where it is fair and lawful. Specific legislation allows for the registered keeper details to be disclosed to the police, local authorities and customs officers. Information can also be disclosed to those who have a reasonable cause for requiring it. This is primarily where the vehicle has been involved in an incident where there may be liability on the part of the user. The DVLA has safeguards in place to ensure that data is only disclosed to legitimate organisations and is not misused by the recipient.

Shipping: Pollution

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether her Department has liaised with the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Action Group on her Department's decision to allow ship-to-ship transfers to take place off the coast of Southwold.

Michael Penning: The Department did not liaise with the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group on the Merchant Shipping (Ship-To-Ship Transfers) (Amendment) Regulations 2012. The primary reason was because the group's focus concentrated on oil drilling practices in the UK, in advance of the conclusion of investigations into the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig incident in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. The Group's work did not impact on the separate issue of the transfer of oil cargo between ships, the subject of the 2012 Regulations.

Shipping: Pollution

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she or officials in her Department have had with (a) maritime industry bodies and (b) foreign governments about the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Action Group since May 2010.

Michael Penning: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) was a member of the Oil Spill Response and Advisory Group (OSPRAG) since it was set up in May 2010 until it concluded its work in September 2011. Following the conclusion of OSPRAG, the Oil Spill Response Forum (OSRF) was set up in order to finish the few remaining outstanding OSPRAG tasks. The MCA has had a range of discussions with a number of national and international partners; both government and industry, where they have presented and taken forward the findings from OSPRAG.

Health Insurance

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff working in his Department are entitled to private health care as part of their remuneration package.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions does not provide private health care to their employees as part of their remuneration package.

State Retirement Pensions

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on pensioners of the phasing out of payment of the state pension by cheque.

Steve Webb: We have sought the views of key customer representative groups, such as RNIB and Age UK, to help us understand the needs of existing cheque payment users. Their feedback, along with that of pensioners themselves, has played an important role in helping us design simple payment, to ensure that it is fully accessible.
	Simple payment will still allow pensioners to have easy access to their cash at a convenient outlet, and will provide the flexibility required for use by those who rely on someone else to collect their money for them.

Universal Credit

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department has taken to prevent fraudulent claims via online access to universal credit.

Chris Grayling: Universal credit will be protected by comprehensive and sophisticated cyber defence and counter fraud systems.
	There are a number of activities underway in Government to prevent fraud and error through the online channel since this is key to being “digital by default”.
	DWP is developing the integrated risk and intelligence service for the purpose of identifying fraudulent universal credit claims at the point of contact using the latest tools and techniques now common in other sectors.
	In recognition of the very different threats faced when conducting business on line we are investing in the following to support universal credit:
	The creation of strong cyber defences to protect our infrastructure and data from malicious software
	Our data analytics capability is being enhanced to risk assess transactions before they enter the system and allow us to fast track low risk customers for payment, and route high risk claims to an appropriate fraud intervention prior to the claim being paid.

Business: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was invested in enterprises in (a) the area currently covered by City of York Council and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber by (i) Yorkshire Forward and (ii) the Regional Growth Fund (A) in cash terms and (B) at 2012 prices in each year since Yorkshire Forward was created.

Mark Prisk: Information on disbursements to enterprises in the City of York could be made available only at disproportionate cost. Yorkshire Forward's net expenditure across its region since it was created in cash terms and at 2010-11 prices (the latest available) was:
	
		
			 £ million 
			  Cash Equivalent in 2010-11 prices 
			 1998-99 1 1 
			 1999-20000 121 155 
			 2000-01 125 159 
			 2001-02 207 260 
			 2002-03 211 258 
			 2003-04 244 292 
			 2004-05 288 335 
			 2005-06 294 334 
			 2006-07 313 344 
			 2007-08 300 323 
			 2008-09 292 305 
			 2009-10 320 329 
			 2010-11 172 172 
			 2011-12 172 172 
		
	
	From the first and second rounds of the regional growth fund (RGF), bids to the value of £44.4 million and £134.6 million respectively were successful from the Yorkshire and Humber region. The third round bids are currently being assessed. The RGF has spent £31.8 million in 2011-12 and £38,709 in 2012-13 (to date) in the region.

Business: Young People

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department provides to entrepreneurs aged 16 and 17 years old.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 14 June 2012
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) provides funding to a number of organisations, including the National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs, working with schools and colleges to raise enterprise awareness and to build enterprise capability amongst all young people. Funding is focussed upon supporting schools and colleges to provide hands-on enterprise experience as the evidence shows that this has the greatest impact upon perceptions of enterprise as a viable career option.
	BIS has recently launched a pilot scheme to test demand for start-up lending amongst 18 to 24 year olds and more information on this scheme can be found at:
	www.startupbritain.org/loans
	Start-ups typically raise finance from a diverse range of informal and formal sources. For those seeking help in identifying more formal sources of finance:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	provides a searchable database at:
	http://improve.businesslink.gov.uk/resources/business-finance-finder

Conditions of Employment

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what official meetings Adrian Beecroft had as part of his review of employment law.

Norman Lamb: This is a mater for Mr Beecroft.

Employment Agencies

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the role of the agency worker industry in (a) tackling unemployment, (b) promoting job creation and (c) protecting a flexible, skilled workforce in the UK.

Norman Lamb: We believe that the agency worker industry provides an important but relatively small range of employment opportunities. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC's) latest Recruitment Industry Trends reported that there were around 1 million temporary agency workers in the UK in 2010/11, compared to around 29 million people in employment overall.
	The indication is that agency work enables some people to return to work. Evidence from the Government's Labour Force Survey suggests that in 2011, over half of agency workers who had been in their current job for 12 months or less had not been in paid employment or self-employed prior to entering that post.
	There is also evidence that the agency worker industry leads to some workers initially taken on temporarily from an agency being made permanent employees at the firm they have been hired by. The latest REC Recruitment Industry Trends reports that slightly under half of agencies (44%) recorded some movement of their workers into permanent employment with the hiring firm.
	Temporary agency workers are represented in all the main occupational groups. In 2011 Q4, the Labour Force Survey showed that over 25% of temporary agency workers were in managers, directors and senior officials, professional or associated professional and technical occupation groups, while 22% were in elementary occupations.
	Information on the agency worker industry is taken from a number of sources which is not always compatible.

Action on Smoking and Health

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid by his Department to Action on Smoking and Health in 2011-12; and how much his Department has allocated in 2012-13.

Anne Milton: Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) received funding of £150,000 in 2011-12 through the Department's 'Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to voluntary and Community Organisations'. The Grant was awarded for a project to 'Work to support delivery of the Tobacco Control Plan for England'.
	ASH has made an application for funding in 2012-13 for a project proposal 'Supporting the Tobacco Plan for England 2012-13'. The Department is currently considering this application.

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children between the ages of (a) 12 and 14, (b) 14 and 16 and (c) 16 and 18 living in (i) Medway unitary authority, (ii) Tonbridge and Malling unitary authority and (iii) Chatham and Aylesford constituency were receiving treatment for alcohol dependency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: It is not possible to provide the number of people receiving specialist alcohol interventions living in Tonbridge and Malling Unitary Authority or Chatham and Aylesford constituency. The number of 12 to 17-year-olds receiving specialist alcohol interventions in Kent and in Medway unitary authority is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Age 12-13 14-15 16-17 Total 
			 Kent * 46 67 *115 
			 Medway * 6 8 *15 
			 Note: All numbers under 5 have been suppressed to protect clients identification. Where totals could be derived, figures have been rounded to the to nearest 5 and marked with an asterisk ‘*’. Source: 2010-11 National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data for Primary alcohol clients in Kent and Medway Drug and Alcohol Action Team areas 
		
	
	Within these statistics, a young person's age is determined when they first start treatment or if they are already in treatment, at start of the year.
	Young people and their treatment needs differ from adults. Very few young people develop dependency. Those who use drugs or alcohol problematically are likely to be vulnerable and experiencing a range of problems, of which substance misuse is one.
	The majority of young people accessing specialist alcohol interventions have problems that require psychosocial, harm reduction and family interventions, rather than treatment for addiction. Most young people need to engage with specialist alcohol interventions for a short period of time, often weeks, before continuing with further support elsewhere, within an integrated young people's care plan.

Brain Cancer

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that guidelines on identifying the signs and symptoms of brain tumours and on referral of patients for assessment are integrated into general practice and emergency medicine practice;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to implement National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on best practice on brain tumours.

Paul Burstow: Since its publication in 2005, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance ‘Referral guidelines for suspected cancer’ has supported clinicians to identify and refer patients with symptoms of suspected cancer, including brain tumours. This guidance has been designed for professionals and agencies including general practitioners, nurse practitioners, ophthalmic practitioners, out-of-hours services, NHS Direct and clinicians in accident and emergency departments.
	‘Improving Outcomes for People with Brain and Other Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumours’, published by NICE in 2006, sets out best practice recommendations on the treatment, management and care of patients with brain tumours.
	Our Cancer Outcomes Strategy makes it clear that both sets of NICE guidance will continue to be a feature of all commissioned cancer services. Cancer Networks are working with the NHS to support compliance with Improving Outcomes Guidance. Peer review measures for brain and CNS tumours are supporting the NHS to evaluate services for patients with brain tumours and to drive improvement across the service.

Cancer

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how and by whom he proposes that the NHS Commissioning Board will be held to account for the commissioning of specialist cancer services.

Paul Burstow: The Secretary of State for Health, the right hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), will hold the NHS Commissioning Board (NHSCB) to account for the outcomes set out in the NHS Outcomes Framework and for the quality of the services that it commissions directly.
	No final, decisions have yet been taken on which services the NHSCB will directly commission from April 2013. Work is currently under way with national health service commissioners in developing the list of services. Ministers expect to be in a position to set out an initial list in the summer. This will then be subject to consultation with the NHSCB before regulations are made.

Cancer

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with the NHS Commissioning Board Special Health Authority on how the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey could be used to improve patient care and services; and if he will make a statement.

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to ensure that the results of the forthcoming National Cancer Patients Experience Survey will be used to improve patient care and services.

Paul Burstow: The fieldwork for the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey is finished and analysis is under way. National and trust level reports are expected to be published in the summer.
	The Department will make the national and trust level reports widely available to drive and inform local service improvement. The reports will provide a breakdown of the experience of cancer patients across a number of stages in the cancer care pathway and will include analysis of improvement levels since the 2010-11 survey. The trust level reports will provide benchmarked data nationally and between teams so that priority improvement areas can be identified.
	The National Cancer Action Team has worked with cancer networks over the last year to use the results of the 2010-11 survey to drive service improvements and will continue this work using the results of the 2011-12 survey.
	The Department is encouraging stakeholders in the third sector who are planning to use the survey results to identify and share best practice in patient care and services to support service improvement activity.
	All the quantitative data will be sent to the National Data Archive at Essex University and will be freely available for access by researchers to undertake a series of analyses under the rules of the archive.
	No specific discussions have taken place with the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) Special Health Authority on how the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey could be used to improve patient care and services in the future. However, from April 2013 onwards, decisions about the survey will be the responsibility of the NHS CB.

Dental Services

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of NHS dentists correcting substandard work by dentists trained overseas given temporary registration by the General Dental Council;
	(2)  how many dentists trained overseas were given temporary registration by the General Dental Council in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: This information is not held centrally. The General Dental Council (GDC) approves the temporary registration of selected overseas dentists under longstanding arrangements whereby these dentists obtain training and experience of working in the national health service, which, on returning home, they use to the benefit of their local health services. Dentists with temporary registration can only practise under the supervision of a GDC registered consultant. Given that the number of temporary registrants is not large and we would normally expect their supervisors to correct any substandard dentistry as part of their supervisory role, we doubt if the costs are disproportionate to the benefits of the arrangements.
	The number of temporary registrations approved by the GDC in each of the last five years ending 31 December is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2007 214 
			 2008 309 
			 2009 294 
			 2010 238 
			 2011 192

Food: Labelling

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department will take to encourage food companies to adopt the front of pack nutrition labelling scheme his Department recommends;
	(2)  what steps the Government is taking to ensure that his Department's recommended front of pack nutrition labelling is the most useful to consumers;
	(3)  what consideration his Department has given to the BMRB Report, Comprehension and use of UK nutrition signpost labelling schemes, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency and published in 2009 as part of the Government's consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling;
	(4)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the scheme it recommends for front of pack nutrition labelling does not increase dietary health inequalities in respect of consumers who are less numerate or for whom English is not their first language; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Governments across the United Kingdom launched a UK-wide 12-week consultation on front of pack (FoP)-nutrition labelling on 14 May 2012. This is an open consultation and does not recommend any one particular FoP labelling system. It is an opportunity for the food industry, public and all other interested parties to give their views on a number of issues relating to FoP labelling.
	The consultation is based on the most recent evidence available, including the BMRB report on the comprehension and use of nutrition signpost labelling schemes, which was published in 2009.
	Currently there is little published evidence which differentiates the effects of labelling schemes on subgroups in the population, which is why we are asking for any relevant unpublished work though the consultation.
	The findings from the consultation will be used to help develop the approach on nutrition labelling across the four countries of the UK.

Kidneys: Transplant Surgery

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent consideration his Department has given to the provision of long-term strategic direction and leadership for kidney transplant services over the next 10 to 15 years.

Anne Milton: The implementation of the Organ Donation Taskforce's 14 recommendations published in 2008 has been successful with a 35%, increase in donor rates over the baseline year of 2007-08. We continue to support work at a local, regional and national level focusing on increasing consent rates, particularly from the Black and Minority Ethnic communities, and optimising donation from all potential donors.
	Increasingly, operational responsibility in the future will rest with NHS Blood and Transplant as the national donation organisation. They are currently developing the post-2013 strategy that will build on the Taskforce's recommendations. This will be supported by commissioning as the new national health service arrangements are put in place.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the original timetable for having an interim team from the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust into the North Cumbria University Trust in place by May 2012 has been achieved.

Simon Burns: The acquisition of North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a matter for the local national health service. The hon. Member may wish to approach the chief executives of the trusts for further information on the acquisition process.

Patient Choice Schemes

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are measures in place to ensure that the Patient Advice Liaison Service gives NHS users a choice of hospital clinic.

Simon Burns: The Patient Advice and Liaison Service exists to provide contacts within the national health service to whom patients can turn if they have a problem, or need information in relation to hospital or other NHS services. It would be inappropriate for them to become directly involved in choices about healthcare.

Patient Choice Schemes

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what systems are in place to support an NHS user who has not been given a choice of hospital clinic by their GP and the Patient Advice Liaison Service;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that advice is available to NHS users when their GP and the Patient Advice Liaison Service do not give them a choice of hospital clinic.

Simon Burns: The right to make choices about required national health service care and receive information to support those choices exists within the NHS constitution. When undertaking discussions with their general practitioner, NHS patients may choose to be referred to a named consultant-led team for their first consultant-led out-patient appointment, if clinically appropriate.
	Directions place duties on primary care trusts (PCTs) to publicise and promote patients' entitlement to choice and to publish and report to the strategic health authorities the number of choice related complaints, and the action taken by PCTs.
	This Government is committed to the aim of providing everyone with more say in decisions about choice of care and treatment and has recently launched the choice publication ‘No decision about me, without me—Further consultation on proposals to secure shared decision-making’.
	The Patient Advice and Liaison Service exists to provide identifiable people within the NHS to whom patients can turn if they have a problem, or need information in relation to hospital or other NHS services. It would be inappropriate for them to become directly involved in the actual offering of choice.

Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) highest, (b) median, (c) median full-time equivalent and (d) lowest full-time equivalent salary paid by (i) his Department and (ii) its public bodies was in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13.

Simon Burns: Information about base salary for the Department and its agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Department's arms length bodies has been placed in the Library. The quoted figures do not include allowances as to obtain this information would have incurred disproportionate costs.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Veterans

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ex-armed forces personnel living in Wales have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected by the national health service in England. Health is devolved, and the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has its own health care system. The Department of Health in England does liaise regularly with the WAG in relation to veterans' welfare. The Ministry of Defence/UK Departments of Health Partnership Board, which includes representatives of the devolved Administrations meets quarterly to discuss relevant issues including veterans’ mental health.
	Some of the recent improvements to veterans' mental health care that are being delivered in response to the ‘Fighting Fit’ report, by my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison), and are also open accessible to those in the devolved Administrations. The veterans' 24-hour mental health helpline, for example, run in partnership with Combat Stress, is available as is the Big White Wall online emotional support network.

Transplant Surgery

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Transitional Steering Group for Organ Transplantation has made towards its objectives.

Anne Milton: The Transitional Steering Group has met on three occasions. It is chaired by Professor Chris Rudge with representatives from all United Kingdom health administrations, NHS Blood and Transplant, the Intensive Care Society, the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine and the British Transplantation Society.
	The first two meetings agreed proposals for action to be taken at local, regional and national levels. These included at local level supporting senior nurses for organ donation, clinical leads and donation committees to optimise donation rates in hospitals. Work at a regional level relies primarily on regional collaboratives and the support and leadership they give to local donation committees. National responsibility rests with the UK health administrations, NHS Blood and Transplant and the professional colleges and societies.
	A review in March 2012 showed good progress. Donation rates at the end of 2011-12 had increased by 35%, over the 2007-08 baseline but work continues at all levels to address the six key areas identified by the Transitional Steering Group for improvement, namely: increasing consent rates, optimising donation, identifying potential donors from Emergency Medicine, increased and timely referral of all potential donors, and improved donor management.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the Government's Positive for Youth document and new approach to cross- governmental policy for 13 to 19 year olds, what steps he is taking to expand cadet forces into state schools; and how he is ensuring this will be done in a cost effective way.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 91W. In line with our commitment to Positive for Youth, Ministry of Defence (MOD) continues to work with the Department for Education to explore options to expand the cadet forces. I recently held a conference with the Schools Commissioner to discuss options with key stakeholders. I am keen that any expansion is carried out in the most cost effective manner without diluting the cadet experience, and I hope that an announcement will be made soon.
	Positive for Youth applies to England only, but the MOD is of course willing to discuss similar opportunities with the devolved Administrations.

Armed Forces: Suicide

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving members of (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) the Royal Air Force (i) committed and (ii) attempted suicide in each year since 1992.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 18 June 2012
	The following table illustrates the number of suicides by serving members of the armed forces in each year since 1992:
	
		
			  All RN Army RAF 
			 1992 37 6 22 9 
			 1993 43 5 25 13 
			 1994 34 6 20 8 
			 1995 43 2 32 9 
			 1996 32 7 19 6 
			 1997 26 4 17 5 
			 1998 19 2 13 4 
			 1999 28 6 18 4 
			 2000 36 6 22 8 
			 2001 16 2 12 2 
			 2002 15 4 11 0 
			 2003 25 3 15 7 
			 2004 20 2 16 2 
			 2005 22 5 13 4 
			 2006 12 0 10 2 
			 2007 10 4 6 0 
			 2008 9 0 7 2 
			 2009 14 2 10 2 
			 2010 6 3 2 1 
			 2011 5 3 2 0 
		
	
	Information on incidents of deliberate self harm, which can include attempted suicide, but also less serious incidents, is set out in the following table. For the period to 2005 only information relating to the Army is held centrally. Data for 2006 onwards are available from the Tri-Service Notification of Casualty system, and from 2010 these have been supplemented by Defence Medical Information Capability Programme sources. These three series are therefore not directly comparable.
	
		
			 Army data 1994 to 2005 
			  Army 
			 1994 128 
			 1995 134 
			 1996 136 
			 1997 140 
			 1998 181 
			 1999 167 
			 2000 143 
			 2001 174 
			 2002 124 
			 2003 195 
			 2004 196 
			 2005 207 
		
	
	
		
			 Tri-Service Casualty Reporting System 2006-09 
			  All RN Army RAF 
			 2006 (1)— 28 29 (1)— 
			 2007 68 32 31 5 
			 2008 129 35 88 6 
			 2009 134 47 77 10 
			 (1) Fewer than five 
		
	
	Where there is only one cell in a row or column that is fewer than five, the next smallest number has also been suppressed so that numbers cannot be derived from totals.
	
		
			 Tri-Service Casualty Reporting System and Defence Medical Information Capability Programme 
			  All RN Army RAF 
			 2010 367 74 260 33 
			 2011 315 45 237 33

Medals: Territorial Army

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many campaign medals were awarded to territorial army (a) officers and (b) other ranks in each of the last five years.

Andrew Robathan: The number of campaign medals in respect of Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan awarded to Territorial Army officers and other ranks in each of the last five years, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Calendar year Officers Other ranks Total 
			 2008 330 1,180 1,510 
			 2009 280 1,040 1,310 
			 2010 180 880 1,060 
			 2011 140 760 900 
			 2012 (up to 13 June 2012) 110 320 430 
			 Total 1,040 4,170 5,210

Afghanistan

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the (a) likely size of the Afghan National Security Force in 2014 and (b) amount of funding available to maintain it at that size.

William Hague: The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are expected to reach their 'surge' target of 352,000 during 2012 and to be at that level in 2014. There will need to be a managed drawdown to reach the enduring level agreed between the Afghan Government and the international community of around 230,000 at some point after 2014. The pace of that drawdown will be based on conditions on the ground. The costs of the enduring size of the ANSF are envisaged at $4.1 billion.

Anti-Semitism: Football

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what reports he has received of anti-Semitism at football matches in (a) Poland and (b) Ukraine since January 2012; what discussions he has had with the government of (i) Poland and (ii) Ukraine on (A) anti-Semitism and (B) anti-Semitic chanting at football matches since January 2012; what response was received from each government; and if he will make a statement; [R]
	(2)  what discussions he has had on with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on (a) anti-Semitism and (b) anti-Semitic chanting at football matches in (i) Poland and (ii) Ukraine since January 2012; what response was given by UEFA; and if he will make a statement; [R]
	(3)  what recent reports he has received of anti-Semitic chanting during football matches hosted by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in June 2012 in (a) Poland and (b) Ukraine; what recent discussions he has had with UEFA on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [R]

David Lidington: The Government has not received any reports of anti-Semitism at football matches in Poland and Ukraine since January 2012. We have not had any discussions on this subject, or on anti-Semitic chanting at football matches, with the Governments of either country or UEFA.
	In accordance with our commitment to combat all discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnicity, we are committed to confronting anti-Semitism wherever it is found. We are working with the London Jewish Cultural Centre (LJCC) on a series of seminars to bring together journalists from Central and Eastern Europe and the UK to raise awareness of the rise of anti-Semitism and racism and discuss strategies for countering it. Together with the LJCC we are committed to promoting press freedom and to combating discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnicity.
	Our embassy in Warsaw is actively engaged in promoting tolerance and awareness in anti-Semitism. Examples include a highly successful Jewish Community Centre in Krakow which was opened by HRH Prince of Wales in 2008. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), visited Auschwitz-Birkenau last December

Environment Protection: Fisheries

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the talks which were agreed during the Prime Minister's meeting with the Prime Minister of Mauritius on 8 June 2012, will begin; and whether they will include the questions of sovereignty, the return of the Chagossians and the Marine Protected Area.

Henry Bellingham: During Dr Ramgoolam’s meetings with the Prime Minister and myself on 8 June there was no agreement to formal talks, although we retain a warm bilateral relationship. During the meetings we expressed interest in a more constructive relationship on British Indian Ocean Territory issues, though we made it clear that this was difficult while court cases continue. I also refer my right hon. Friend to the answer to question HL 633 from Lord Avebury.

France

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on anti-Semitism in France since March 2012; what discussions he has had with the government of France on this issue since March 2012; and if he will make a statement. [R]

David Lidington: I was horrified to learn of the 19 March shootings at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse. Following this, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), immediately expressed his sympathy for the people of France, as did the Prime Minister in a personal letter to the then President Nicolas Sarkozy.
	The French Interior Minister and the Service for the Protection of the Jewish Community report that 148 acts of anti-Semitism took place in France between 19 March and 30 April 2012. There were 43 violent acts against people and property with 105 acts of intimidation in various forms.
	The Government takes anti-Semitism very seriously and condemns it in all its forms. I know the French Government shares this view.

Kosovo

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of efforts to resettle internally displaced persons in Kosovo.

David Lidington: The Government condemns the 22/23 May attack on two returnees' homes, one of which was completely destroyed, in the village of Drenovac. I urge the Kosovo Government to ensure that all efforts are made to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.
	The returns process remains a challenge for the Government of Kosovo. As noted in the European Commission's 2011 progress report on Kosovo, limited access to property, delayed property restitution proceedings and the scarcity of economic opportunities continue to be the main obstacles to sustainable returns.
	The UK Government are supporting, through its conflict prevention fund, two projects aimed at facilitating the return of Kosovo-Serb families to the historic centre of Prizren, and RAE (Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian) families to Istog municipality. This builds on the success of a returns project in Prizren town completed in 2011—the first urban return in Kosovo—which returned and reintegrated 10 K-Serb families into new homes.

Kosovo

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Kosovan government on the treatment of ethnic Serbs in Kosovo.

David Lidington: The UK Government frequently discusses with the Government of Kosovo the importance of guaranteeing the rights, identity and culture of all Kosovo's minority citizens, including Kosovo-Serbs.
	The UK continues to support the implementation of Ahtisaari's comprehensive settlement proposal (CSP). This provides for an enhanced and sustainable system of local self government and specific rights for the Serbian and other minority communities in areas such as local self-government, democratic representation and the protection of religious and cultural heritage. These provisions, when fully implemented, will ensure a multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo with wide rights at municipal level, progressing towards eventual EU membership and contributing to regional stability.

North Korea

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government has had with the US on the provision of a food aid package for North Korea in return for stops in nuclear testing, uranium enrichment and long range missiles.

Jeremy Browne: The British Government has held a number of discussions with the US Administration, in Washington, Seoul and London, about the details of the 29 February deal between the US and North Korea; and the prospects for a return to 6 Party Talks.

Pakistan

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the extent of the threat from terrorism from Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

William Hague: Groups operating from Pakistan continue to represent the greatest long-term strategic terrorism threat to the UK. Although al-Qaeda core has suffered significant loses, they continue to pose a credible threat to the UK and our interests overseas.

Sovereignty: Scotland

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what correspondence (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with the Scottish Government on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK; and if he will place any such correspondence in the Library;
	(2)  what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with Scottish Government Ministers or officials on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK.

David Lidington: I have not had any correspondence or discussions on the consequences of Scotland leaving the UK with any Scottish Government representative, and nor have my ministerial colleagues or Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials.
	The Government's position is clear: Scotland is stronger as part of the UK and the UK is stronger with Scotland in it. The Government are not making plans for independence as we are confident that people in Scotland will continue to support the United Kingdom in any referendum.

Sri Lanka

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had recent discussions with the Sri Lankan high commissioner to the UK on the diplomatic immunity of the defence attaché, Major General Prasanna Silva.

Alistair Burt: Ministers have had no recent discussions with the Sri Lankan high commissioner on the diplomatic immunity of Minister (Defence) Major General Prasanna De Silva. Following allegations of war crimes earlier this year, the Sri Lankan high commission contacted officials to confirm Major General De Silva’s ongoing diplomatic immunity. Major General De Silva left the country at the end of his posting in May 2010.

Sri Lanka

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received representations from the Sri Lankan high commissioner on the appointment of the country's defence attaché, Major General Silva.

Alistair Burt: Major General Prasanna De Silva was appointed as Minister (Defence) at the Sri Lankan high commission in September 2010 and left the country at the end of his posting in May 2012. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), did not receive direct representations from the Sri Lankan high commission, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office received the usual written correspondence associated with the appointment process.

Syria

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what expenditure has been incurred in supporting Syrian opposition groups; what supplies or funds have been provided; and to which groups.

Alistair Burt: During his speech at Mansion House on 29 March and his statement to the House on 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 34, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), set out that we would provide £1.5 million of non lethal project-based support to a wide array of oppositionists and civil society groups. This will be spent on training and capacity building in a number of key areas including leadership, co-ordination, strategic communication, strategy development and human rights.

Pay

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many appointments with a salary over £142,000 he has (a) approved and (b) rejected since May 2010.

Danny Alexander: In May 2010, it was announced that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury would be required to sign-off the salaries of any individuals earning over a full-time equivalent of £142,500, in areas under ministerial control.
	As of 29 May 2012, I have been asked to approve the remuneration of 196 senior appointments. When applications come in, I can and do reject them if I think they are too high and impose a lower salary range.

Personal Savings

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reward good saving habits; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: The Government's savings strategy is based on the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility, so that it meets the needs of consumers while remaining effective and affordable. In particular, the Government aims to encourage more lower and middle income households to start saving and to save more, especially for the long term and retirement.
	The Government has taken steps to support existing savers and encourage new savers, including:
	1. Promoting choice by providing flexibility to consumers in a competitive market. This Government introduced the Junior ISA, removed the effective requirement to annuitise at age 75, and announced at Budget 2012 that the Government will work with industry to improve competitiveness and transparency in the ISA market, including encouraging industry to make use of the technological advances in how information and funds can be transferred to bring further reductions in the time taken to transfer a cash ISA between providers. The Government also welcomes and strongly supports the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) recommendations to make it easier for personal customers, small businesses and charities to switch their bank account. The Government is clear that the new switching proposals need to be fully implemented by the industry by September 2013 and will monitor progress closely through quarterly interim reports.
	2. Promoting fairness in incentives to save by introducing automatic enrolment of employees into a pension scheme from October 2012, reforming the way pensions tax relief is restricted and indexing ISA contribution limits to inflation.
	3. Promoting personal responsibility within the saving, debt and protection system. To encourage individuals to save, the Government provides tax relief on private pension saving, worth around £24 billion in 2010-11, and tax relief on cash and stocks and shares saving in ISAs, worth around £2 billion in 2010-11. Promoting personal responsibility also involves making sure that individuals are equipped to exercise effective choice and plan for expected and unexpected events. This Government has introduced the Money Advice Service, which among other services provides a free financial 'healthcheck'; asked an independent Steering Group to devise a suite of simple financial products to help increase the number of new participants in savings and protection insurance markets by providing straightforward, easy to understand products; and worked with industry and consumer groups to establish a 'default' open market option, which requires retirees to make an active choice about their provider and the shape of their annuity.

Arrest Warrants

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for the surrender of an individual under a European arrest warrant were received by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in 2011-12.

Damian Green: holding answer 18 June 2012
	During the business year 2011-12, the Serious Organised Crime Agency received 5,832 European arrest warrants issued by EU member states—this figure includes four issued by Gibraltar. The following table breaks this figure down by issuing state.
	
		
			 Number of European arrest warrants received by the serious Organised Crime Agency, broken down by issuing state 
			 Country Number 
			 Austria 86 
		
	
	
		
			 Belgium 363 
			 Bulgaria 70 
			 Cyprus 11 
			 Czech Republic 216 
			 Denmark 11 
			 Estonia 4 
			 Finland 24 
			 France 323 
			 Germany 748 
			 Gibraltar 4 
			 Greece 43 
			 Hungary 195 
			 Ireland 46 
			 Italy 234 
			 Latvia 96 
			 Lithuania 242 
			 Luxembourg 10 
			 Malta 10 
			 Netherlands 345 
			 Poland 1536 
			 Portugal 62 
			 Romania 584 
			 Slovakia 124 
			 Slovenia 24 
			 Spain 323 
		
	
	
		
			 Sweden 98 
			 Total 5,832

Immigration Controls

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2012, Official Report, column 77W, on immigration controls, which the airport terminals are which are equipped with e-Gate technology; and how many additional terminals will be so equipped before the end of 2012.

Damian Green: holding answer 18 June 2012
	There are currently 63 e-Gates at 15 of the UK's major air terminals: Birmingham Terminal 1, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick North and South, Heathrow Terminals 1, 3, 4 and 5, Luton, Manchester Terminals 1 and 2, and Stansted.
	There are currently no delivery projects under way to equip additional terminals with e-Gates before the end of 2012.

Immigration Controls

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to control immigration.

Damian Green: holding answer 19 June 2012
	Since 2010, we have reviewed all immigration routes to the UK and have put policies in place which will control abuse, ensure that the system is more efficient, and reduce numbers of non-EEA migrants to sustainable levels. As a result of these policies we anticipate that net migration will be in the tens of thousands by 2015.
	Specifically, we have limited the numbers of non-EEA economic migrants and raised the minimum skills levels that they need to access jobs in the UK.
	We have imposed tight controls on colleges and international students to ensure that they are genuine.
	At the same time we have introduced a new route for students who have developed world class innovative ideas and want to stay to develop their business in Britain.
	To attract the brightest and best to the UK, we have introduced a route for those of exceptional talent.
	We have tightened access to settlement in the UK so as to break the link between temporary work and staying here permanently.
	More recently, we announced important changes to reform the family route to ensure that family relationships are genuine, that migrants can integrate into British society and can support themselves financially. And our reforms will ensure that criminals cannot avoid deportation by claiming a right to family life.
	These reforms have been underpinned by evidence and analysis produced by the independent Migration Advisory Committee.
	We now have a selective migration system which controls who can come to, and stay, in the UK, for the benefit of Britain not just for the benefit of migrants. It ensures that the brightest and best migrants can come, tackles abuse, and as a result will reduce net migration and restore confidence in the immigration system.

Industrial Disputes

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which staff of other Government departments and from other sections of her Department were recruited to fill the posts left vacant by staff in her Department who were on strike on 10 May 2012.

Damian Green: No staff were recruited for this work. The contingency pool is comprised of Home Office staff (Home Office HQ, UK Border Agency, Border Force and Identity and Passport Service). Additional support was provided by the Ministry of Defence Police, Serious Organised Crime Agency and police officers currently seconded to the UK Border Agency.
	In Home Office HQ, the Identity and Passport Service, the Criminal Records Bureau and in areas of UK Border Agency work not covered by the centrally co-ordinated re-deployment exercise managers made local arrangements where necessary to ensure that the essential work of the Department continued. Details of these local arrangements are not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Offences Against Children: British Nationals Abroad

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms are in place to allow police forces to share good practice in the investigation of child sexual abuse abroad by British sex offenders.

Nick Herbert: UK law enforcement agencies work closely with their counterparts in other countries, predominately through Interpol. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre is dedicated to tackling offenders who cross geographical borders and plays a key role in sharing relevant information to ensure child sexual abuse perpetrated by British offenders is investigated as appropriate.
	The UK is a dedicated member of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT), which brings together law enforcement agencies including the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Europol, UAE Ministry of Interior and Interpol. The VGT delivers innovative crime prevention and crime reduction initiatives to deter and prevent individuals from committing child abuse, across the world.
	Joint working through such relationships enables law enforcement agencies to share information with countries in respect of British offenders who may seek to travel to abuse or exploit children.

Police: Pensions

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the document entitled Police Pension Scheme and New Police Pension Scheme in England and Wales, Actuarial Review as at 31 March 2008—Valuation data and demographic assumptions, prepared by the Government Actuary's Department.

Nick Herbert: I will place a copy of Police Pension Scheme and New Police Pension Scheme in England and Wales, Actuarial Review as at 31 March 2008—Valuation data and demographic assumptions, prepared by the Government Actuary's Department, in the Library of the House.

Electronic Warfare

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he plans to provide information to the public on the threat to national security posed by electromagnetic pulses.

Francis Maude: holding answer 18 June 2012
	I refer my hon. Friend to the Government's reply to the House of Commons Defence Committee, and to the evidence given by Government Ministers and officials to the Committee, during its inquiry into "Developing Threats: Electro-Magnetic Pulses (EMP)" (HC1552).
	As called for in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, a National Space Security Policy (NSSP), to coherently address all aspects of space security, will be published later this year.

Public Services

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which Government Departments have implemented the proposal in his Department's Open Public Services white paper that important data about public services, user satisfaction and the performance of all providers from all sectors is available to the public; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: holding answer 18 June 2012
	In correspondence to Cabinet colleagues the Prime Minister set out a number of transparency commitments for each government department to follow. The strong delivery against those commitments has ensured a wide ranging publication of data, resulting in greater accountability of Government and better public service information for citizens.
	Work on the agenda continues at pace and each Government Department will soon publish an Open Data Strategy which will outline unique departmental data releases over the next two years. Within each strategy Departments will also detail what data they will be releasing that relate to user experience and customer feedback about services they or their arm's length bodies provide.

Recruitment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 489W, on recruitment, to what extent his Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year;
	(2)  to what extent 10 Downing street used name-blank CVs or the blind sift function on the Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system to recruit staff in the last year.

Francis Maude: Recruitment processes differ between Civil Service Departments and it is not mandated that Departments use the Civil Service e-recruitment system. Neither No 10 Downing street nor the Cabinet Office (or any of its non-departmental public bodies) currently use the Civil Service Resourcing (CSR) e-recruitment system to recruit their staff. We are currently considering whether and when to adopt the full Civil Service Resourcing e-recruitment system.

Fuel Poverty: Brighton

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of fuel poverty in Brighton, Kemptown constituency.

Gregory Barker: The coalition Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty and supporting vulnerable consumers to heat their homes at an affordable cost.
	We continue to fund the Warm Front scheme, providing low income vulnerable households, living in energy inefficient properties, with a range of energy efficient heating and insulation measures. Since 2005, Warm Front has assisted 2,041 households in the Brighton, Kemptown constituency(1). Since the start of the scheme in June 2000 the scheme has assisted 2.3 million households across England.
	In winter 2011-12, the warm home discount scheme provided energy supplier funded discounts to well over 660,000 of the poorest pensioners across Great Britain with a Core Group discount of £120 off their electricity bills. Nearly 600,000 of these customers will have received the discount without having to claim as a result of data matching between Government and energy suppliers. This is a significant benefit for a group which may struggle to claim. Other low income vulnerable households may also be assisted through the scheme. Overall we expect 2 million low income vulnerable households a year to be assisted through the warm home discount scheme.
	In addition, Government provides pensioner households with winter fuel payments to help with additional heating costs during the winter. Cold weather payments are also made to low income and vulnerable households where there is an average temperature of 0°C or below for seven consecutive days. These payments have been permanently increased to £25 per week and in winter 2011-12 over 5 million cold weather payments were paid in Great Britain worth an estimated £129 million.
	(1) This information is only available post 2005.

Renewable Energy

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the likely cost of producing a unit of each form of renewable energy in (a) 2012, (b) 2015 and (b) 2020.

Charles Hendry: DECC has published information related to capital costs and installation costs of various renewable electricity generation technologies—a report by ARUP for DECC on the generation costs and deployment potential of renewable technologies in the UK:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/ro-banding/3237-cons-ro-banding-arup-report.pdf
	and the renewables obligation (RO) banding review consultation document, which can be downloaded from our website at
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_ro_review/cons_ro_review.aspx
	DECC has updated estimates for the underlying costs of solar PV as part of the Government response to Phase 2A comprehensive review of feed in tariffs, which can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/5381-solar-pv-cost-update.pdf
	The following table replicates information that can be found in the above reports(1), and shows central estimates for selected technologies for projects starting in 2011(2) and 2017 using a 10% discount rate.
	Further estimates for other technologies can be found in the cited reports.
	(1) Please note that while the update of solar PV report did not include levelised cost calculations, the underlying published data has been used to calculated a solar PV levelised cost presented in the above table.
	(2) Please note “project start” indicates the start of pre-development work (including consent) for the project prior to final investment decision and commissioning.
	
		
			 Table 1: Central levelised cost estimates for selected electricity generation technologies 
			  Projects starting in 2011, £/MWh Projects s tarting in 2017, £/MWh 
			 Onshore Wind 5 MW > 90 88 
			 Offshore R2 Wind 123 106 
		
	
	
		
			 Dedicated Biomass >50MW 145 143 
			 Solar PV<4kW (1)318 242 
			 Solar PV250-5000kW (1)166 128 
			 (1) The Solar PV figure is for projects starting in 2012 Note: Please note all data is in £2010 prices. Source: Arup/EY (2011), PB (2012). 
		
	
	It should be noted that the estimates of levelised costs for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates. It is perhaps more appropriate to consider a range of cost estimates as pipeline projects show a large range around these central values (set out in more detail in the above reports).
	Updated levelised costs for renewable electricity will be published in the Government response to the RO banding review consultation.
	The cost of renewable heat is sensitive to many variables. The load factor, building type, size, geology and counterfactual fuel type all impact on the cost. A full account of DECCs data can be found in the NERA/AEA report at this link:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/consultations/rhi/1_20100129161148_e_@@_designoftherenewableheat incentivenerareport.pdf
	The table in Annex A outlines the levelised cost per MWh of heat for technologies expected to be installed under Phase I of the renewable heat incentive (RHI). The total resource cost is the additional price paid by society for each unit of renewable heat. DECC is currently updating cost estimates for renewable heat, which are expected to be published in autumn.
	Central estimates of the £/MWh production costs for 1st generation crop-derived biofuels are given in the following table. These cost estimates are subject to considerable uncertainty, most notably assumptions around future agricultural commodity prices.
	
		
			 £/MWh central estimates of biofuel production costs, 2010 prices 
			  bioethanol biodiesel 
			 2012 75 79 
			 2015 71 77 
			 2020 65 74

Wind Power

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish the minutes of the Offshore Wind Cost Reduction Task Force meetings of 8 and 15 May 2012.

Charles Hendry: The minutes of the 8 May 2012 meeting of the Cost Reduction task force will be published by the end of June 2012. There were no minutes for the meeting on the 15 May 2012, as this was not a full meeting of the task force, its purpose was to was to work on the outline structure and drafting of the task force report.
	Minutes of the task force meetings can be found via this link:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/wind/offshore/owcrtf/meeting_docs/meetingdocs.aspx
	The Offshore Wind Cost Reduction task force launched its report on the 13 June 2012, a copy of the report can be found at:
	http://www.bwea.com/pdf/publications/Offshore_Task_Force_Report.pdf

Wind Power: Capital Investment

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely returns on onshore wind farm investment in each of the next five years.

Charles Hendry: The average rate of return required for investment in onshore wind farms, assumed in the analysis for the renewables obligation banding review, is 9,6%. The actual return on investment for individual wind farms will depend on many factors including their specific location, costs, the amount of and price received for the electricity they generate, and the level of subsidy.
	Our assumption is based on Arup's report which can be found on our website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/ro-banding/3237-cons-ro-banding-arup-report.pdf
	and a report by Oxera for the Committee on Climate Change which can be found at:
	http://hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/Renewables%20Review/Oxera%20low%20carbon%20discount%20rates%20180411.pdf